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Re: Do you run?

PostPosted: Sat Mar 16, 2013 9:51 pm
by colinr
Sierra Ledge Rat wrote:
SeanReedy wrote:...If you aren't in an important race, walk down the steep hills...


Why didn't you tell me that sooner? Like 20 years ago?

If had know that, I might still be running today.

Instead, I spent the night trying to find a position to get my knee from aching and keeping me awake.


:D Yeah, I appreciate your trail running stories, partly because they remind me to follow my own advice. I was so excited to get back to my favorite trail running spot in the redwoods last weekend that I was running down long, steep hills at the end of an extra long, two hour, fast pace outing. I was okay because my legs and posterior are strong right now and I haven't been running down long, steep hills often. Short doses are fun and fine, but too much without walking breaks makes my hip sockets and IT bands sore and tight afterward.

My right knee gets irritated sometimes if I overdo anything as far as high volume combined with high intensity (I think due to history of Osgood-Schlatter's and letting myself get too heavy sometimes), but I'm always fine so far if I take it easy on the leg exercise for a few days-weeks after the rare flare ups. Surgeries are NOT something I hope to face, but at least options seem less invasive with better outcomes than in the past.

Re: Do you run?

PostPosted: Thu Apr 04, 2013 6:44 pm
by Cissa
LesterLong wrote:I hate running.


I do too. But since going swimming, which is my background, here is too expensive, and I´ve got a great piste right next door, I run.

I don´t worry about time, though. I try to keep heart frequency at aerobic level at all times, that is about 70%, sometimes nearing 80-85%, since this will be the constant heart rate I´ll be in while climbing in altitude.

Re: Do you run?

PostPosted: Sat May 25, 2013 4:24 am
by Ben Beckerich
Ben Beckerich wrote:I used to run, and I probably will again someday... but I stopped 6 months ago, due to knee injury, and somehow still climb just as hard as I did

Blah on running


Started running again...

Still blah on running.. for climbing training, anyway. I'm just doing it to vent work frustration, so I'm not such a dick to my wife and kids. But I DO feel strong, after a few weeks of 2-3 times a week... feel like I could go forever, and it feels good. Just need to make myself take it easy, or I'll end up with fucked up knees again

Re: Do you run?

PostPosted: Sat May 25, 2013 5:47 am
by colinr
^^^Yep, many of us find it hard to limit ourselves to an easy effort the majority of time out running, hiking, cycling, swimming, etc., but somewhat limiting time or sessions spent giving more than easy effort tends to help prevent injury, fatigue, and soreness.


Cissa wrote:I don´t worry about time, though. I try to keep heart frequency at aerobic level at all times, that is about 70%, sometimes nearing 80-85%, since this will be the constant heart rate I´ll be in while climbing in altitude.


That makes a lot of sense for hiking cross-training. If someone wanted to achieve maximum anaerobic fitness and maximum performance, a small amount of strenuous speedwork during some phases of training would be a good addition to that.

Paying attention to heart rate is worth serious consideration for performance and injury prevention, so I've been monitoring mine more again lately (by taking my pulse periodically) after years of just going by how I feel and occasionally overdoing time spent at moderate and strenuous intensity levels. Here are a couple of articles on heart rate out of several that I googled recently:

http://www.markallenonline.com/maoArticles.aspx?AID=2

http://runnersworld.com/running-tips/how-use-heart-rate-monitor?page=single

There are apps that will approximate heart rate with just a smartphone, but I haven't tried them, nor do I have a heart rate monitor.

Re: Do you run?

PostPosted: Mon May 27, 2013 11:02 pm
by Ben Beckerich
I think (haven't tried it yet) if you're already a fore-striker, the days-of-debility bit won't be quite so debilitating.. I not only fore-strike, but I generally stay on my balls.. I'm sure I'd be sore, but I strongly suspect I currently already work a lot of those "different muscles" everyone talks about.

'Course, it's all just bravado till I get me sum 5-fingas.

Re: Do you run?

PostPosted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 11:33 am
by geagleiam
I used to run once a week for 10-15 kilometers on the forest paths and this continued for 5 years. I started when I was 30 years of age and this helped me more than I expected, because I saw that people who aren`t trained walk much more slowly and very easily get tired and thirsty. I believe running is the most important part of training, but I stopped it because of arthritis that appeared in my knees. I would advise you to continue with the same distance but running more slowly. Also I wouldn`t advise the people above 35 years of age to do it at all.

Re: Do you run?

PostPosted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 2:48 pm
by ExcitableBoy
geagleiam wrote: Also I wouldn`t advise the people above 35 years of age to do it at all.

Articles in peer reviewed sports medicine journals concluded that you will either run and eventually get injured or you will run and never get injured; its pretty much determined by one's biomechanics, anatomy and physiology etc.

My running partner (he is 53) has been running competitively for 40 years and has only missed three workouts due to illness or injury. He celebrated his 50th birthday by competing in his 50th marathon or ultramarathon race in Hawaii. I am 44 and have been running competitively for 30 years. I train exclusively on trails in the mountains where I live and compete in ultramarathons and other trail races. Other than shin splints in High School, my only running injury was a sprained ankle when I put my foot in a hole that was obscured by vegetation.

Re: Do you run?

PostPosted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 7:18 pm
by Chris Simpson
Interval running / power hiking steep trails (45 deg) with semi flat sections for sprinting 4-5 times per week has had a huge impact on my performance. I did this for about 1 month before my first ever hike which was Iron Mountain in the San Gabriels. The training made it easy.

Re: Do you run?

PostPosted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 7:35 pm
by ExcitableBoy
Chris Simpson wrote:Interval running / power hiking steep trails (45 deg) with semi flat sections for sprinting 4-5 times per week has had a huge impact on my performance. I did this for about 1 month before my first ever hike which was Iron Mountain in the San Gabriels. The training made it easy.


That is good advice. I do intervals, sometimes on a stair master with max incline or on a long steep hill in my neighborhood. I run as hard as I can for 90 secs, jog back down hill to the starting point and jog in place for 3:30 then repeat for six to nine reps. With a 15 minute easy run warm up and cool down it makes for a quick one to one and a quarter hour, hard workout.

Re: Do you run?

PostPosted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 8:58 pm
by GordontheExpress
When training for a climb in the flatlands, I'll run 1/2 mile, do 100 step ups (onto a bench), then some pullups/pushups, etc and repeat the cycle 3-6 times. Works well enough and beats running 5 miles straight (IMO).

Re: Do you run?

PostPosted: Sun Jun 30, 2013 1:16 pm
by geagleiam
radson wrote:Running up big long hills even better. I'll keep it under 2 hours though. So just up to a halfy in length.


I agree that running up is much more effective than running on a flat terrain. I also used to squat with a 60 kg barbell 3 times a week. This prepared me very well for climbing up with a heavy backpack.

Re: Do you run?

PostPosted: Mon Jul 01, 2013 4:24 am
by WyomingSummits
Ben Beckerich wrote:I not only fore-strike, but I generally stay on my balls.. I'm sure I'd be sore
'Course, it's all just bravado till I get me sum 5-fingas.


I generally try to not land on my balls in any striking exercise......

Re: Do you run?

PostPosted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 9:46 pm
by RickF
I'm 55 y.o. and I've been running off & on since I was 19. I run 3 or 4 times a week, from 3 to 8 miles each run. While I do enjoy running my motivation to run is to get a workout to be in better shape for other activities I enjoy more, like hiking, climbing, and skiing. I try to exercise everyday and alternate days between running and working out with weights.

I don't advoacate that running is for everybody. I have some hiking & climbing buddies who don't run much or at all with good strength and stamina.

Unlike hiking, climbing, skiing, and bicycling, running is almost pure exercise and can be realized in just minutes, almost anywhere, without sophisticated gear. Just put on your shorts and tie your shoes and you're exercising. No going to the gym, inflating the tires, etc.

Some people say running is boring. For me its only boring when I try to run indoors on a treadmill. I'd rather get soaked doing 30 minutes in the rain than run on a treadmill.

Several years ago my knees were making noises when hiking with a full pack. My friends noticed it too. I wasn't experiencing real pain but I did have some dis-comfort on downhills. Acquaintances, family, and friends told me at around age 50 your knees wear out and it's just time to slow down. I wasn't prepared to stop being active so went to a sports doctor to get a proffesional opinion. After X-rays and a MRI the doctor gave me some tough love. He basically told me to man-up and that there was nothing wrong with my knees aside from minor arthritis, normal for my age. He said that if I built up the strength in my leg muscles it would take the strain off of my knees and the noise would go away. So I started doing lower-body workouts that included lunges, squats and leg curls. Sure enough I'm still running and I can carry a 50 lb.+ pack without any noise from my knees.

I've been very fortunate. Lots of guys my age have had knee surgeries. I believe you have to use your body and keep it physically challenged to stay in shape. Without challenging activity bones become brittle from calcium loss and muscles atrophy..But you have to keep the chanllenge in moderate limits if you push too far something will get damaged.

A parting note to my long winded reply. I changed my running style after reading "Born to Run". I try to avoid heel-striking but on distances over 8 miles if I'm tired I sometimes find myself landing on my heels. I believe heel striking is a lazy form of running which puts too much impact on bones and joints and leads to a lot of running injuries.

Cheers - out.

Re: Do you run?

PostPosted: Tue Jul 02, 2013 10:40 pm
by Ze
RickF wrote:A parting note to my long winded reply. I changed my running style after reading "Born to Run". I try to avoid heel-striking but on distances over 8 miles if I'm tired I sometimes find myself landing on my heels. I believe heel striking is a lazy form of running which puts too much impact on bones and joints and leads to a lot of running injuries.


LOL @ "lazy form of running". You want opposite of lazy? Why don't you run in a super crouched position so you can eliminate all high-rate loading?

Re: Do you run?

PostPosted: Wed Jul 03, 2013 6:56 pm
by RickF
Ze wrote:LOL @ "lazy form of running". You want opposite of lazy? Why don't you run in a super crouched position so you can eliminate all high-rate loading?


In hindsight "lazy" was a poor choice of words. Anyone who is motivated to go for a run is making an effort to be active and maintain or improve their level of fitness and is not displaying laziness. Landing on the front pads of your feet rather than your heels is more efficient and allows the impact to be transmitted more through muscles and less directly to the bones and joints.

Ze, I'm not familiar with the technique of "super crouched" postion for running or the principle of "high-rate loading". Please elaborate.

And... if you post a reply as a contribution to this thread please answer the original question, do you run?